Unmei no Me
by Lelantos
Summary: In phantasmagoria, an orphan is blessed with ambrosial powers. Deified, he will transcend and become a god. This is the tale of a golden child who would become more.
1. An Apotheosis's Exegesis

**Unmei no Me**  
運命の目

* * *

_prologue  
_**An Apotheosis's Exegesis**

_Is hate the inescapable law that binds us all into civilisation, or merely the product of human avarice? I cannot claim that I understand this myself. If hatred and loathing truly is the product of greed, then is it even possible for a mere mortal, even one gifted with the Catalyst, a tool supposedly powerful enough to uproot the world from its comfortable path of violence of war, to truly end all hate? No objurgating from even one such as I would ever be able to make stray the terrible nightmarish path that humanity is taking tantalising steps to explore. There must be a reason why the Catalyst I was entrusted with was not loquacious grandeur, but a tool, a changer with the power to bring countries to its knees. Whatever higher being that looks after this world must know that diplomacy, sweet-talking, and negotiations will never be adequate to ameliorate the tensions between the antediluvian nations that span this world._

_ And yet, I cannot simply kill those who would stand as an obstacle in the path of peace. I would be traduced and my reputation and cause would be forever tarnished in the world's eyes. There is no easy way to succeed in my goal, which must be why peace is the difficult path. The road of chaos, war, and death that humanity now treads is a weak and comfortable path that humankind has fallen into in its complacency. And because of this, I have realised that the idealistic vision of peace that dominates the minds of lesser men is but a farce, an impossible dream that can never be realised. It is simply the nature of humankind itself to always give into petty hatred._

_ My quest is sacrosanct and my mind refulgent; it is in this knowledge that I take my confidence that peace can be realised through my struggles. Although there will always be those who call me conceited, I know I am better. I am the one being that can lead the hoi polloi into a better age, where a world still divided by nations and plagued by dislike, can feel true and lasting peace. I will be irenic and I will become the Sacrifice. I shall be the Sacrifice that will protect this world._

_ Already, there is an evil that threatens to uproot the very world. An evil far greater than any man could ever be responsible for, an evil that terrifies even me. This presage bodes unhealthy for the world, but I will defeat it. That is why I am Sacrifice, and why I shall be followed. I know that I must bring down that which threatens the delicate balance that I seek and when I do, I already know what shall happen. I will be deified. I will become an arcanum to the world, the one who was able to bring down that which could not be brought down, and I shall attempt to use this to my advantage. I will become the more than human, treading the path between that of divinity and mortals. And only when I tread this path will I be able to achieve my dream. I will be the harbinger of a new era._

_ But even so, is what I dream just that? A lofty dream that cannot be achieved by anyone? Will I be enough? Will I be able to defeat the menace that looms on the horizon? I am no god. I cannot fathom that which is not meant to be comprehended by mortals. For that is what I am. I am but a mortal who has been given a tool that has the power to achieve peace, and no mortal, not even the most prodigiously brilliant mortals can fathom the deepest mysteries of this world. I can only hope that I can do what I have devoted my life to. In the end, hope is one of the few things that all of humankind has in common. It is my own hope that with the Catalyst I have been given that I can make humanity understand this fact and upon this fact lay the foundations of a lasting quiet. But doubt fills my heart. I know I am alone. How can I lead the entire world to peace and understanding when I myself have human desires that plague me?_

_ And so I pour my heart into this recording. My dreams and my doubts. My thinking and logic. My views of the world that, if discovered by an authority, would be disregarded as blasphemy. If I cannot pour my heart into a living human companion, then my paper is my only companion. Perhaps eventually, I shall find love and a human companion to give myself to; but at a time when the world needs someone such as me to guide it, it cannot be so._

_ As I wallow in my own despair, let this one companion of ink and parchment be my sole comforter. Let it be the one that shares my burden. None but this single scroll shall ever know that the Rikudo Sennin, the one being who had the power to bring both peace or chaos and death to the world, was but an ordinary man with an extraordinary dream and naught but a single gift from true gods of supreme power to accomplish his extraordinary dream._

The manuscript, begun so long ago, was finally finished. The man whose burden was the entire world set down his ink and quill, ending his calligraphy in an elegant slanted finish. The Rikudo Sennin, not yet the immortalised man of legend, sighed. He wondered why he had ever begun recording his intimate rendering of pain and in a stabbing of anger, nearly committed the paper to the flames. He didn't know why he took pity on the scroll. Maybe he hoped that one day, a person would stumble across the writing and discover that the Rikudo Sennin had not been merely a shell of a person, a juggernaut that was devoid of humanity and whose only aim was the eternal ceasing of war.

The same had been with all his previous writings. His attempts at recording a history of the harsh world that now revelled in war too often meandered into an analysis of himself and his opinions on what the world was before turning into a history of himself. From a treatise on the usage of chakra and the basic techniques that could be used to increase control over chakra his quill would wander to his own techniques and how he used them. _Perhaps, my writings have always been nothing more than my pathetic conceited efforts to explain myself to me. I keep telling myself that next time, I will do better. How am I to teach the world if I cannot even record my teachings?_

Curiously, it felt like this scroll was different. Even though it was personal like all his other attempts at writing had been, he had actually written this one with the intent to do so. It felt like a confirmation to him, a confirmation that he could write whatever he focused himself to write. And it was with that that he realised that all along, his past writing efforts had been unfocused attempts at trying to unravel himself to himself. Now that he had finally gotten over his premature stage in his writings and had finally explained to himself what he was, he could begin the long chapter in his life where he would spend his time committing his teachings to scrolls. He hoped that long after he was gone, people would continue to adhere to what he believed in and his writings, the centrepiece of that devotion. Eventually, what he preached would be immortalised through word of the mouth, not just written recordings that could be erased from existence at a whim.

Looking back on his latest work, the man slowly realised that he had chosen isolation.

_It is unavoidable_, he told himself. The very writing on the manuscript justified his decision. He knew that his human core quested for companionship, someone to share his burdens. Yet that questing was but a reflex of his human nature, the indomitable power of his human spirit. No one could ever fill the gaping maw that his writing had never been able to fill.

Now, winter was announcing its approach with a dark and cold evening. The moonlight was sparse and even with his eyes, the man could barely see anything. There were no lights, no flaming torches that signified civilisation. His hut, deep in the wilderness, was what he had built a long time ago when he realised the necessity for the life of a hermit. His own hut was illuminated by a small fire, fuelled by wood he had been groping for in the dark naught but an hour ago before he had resumed and finished his latest work.

Sacrifice, as he had dubbed himself in his writing, got up and walked to the sole window that adorned his hut. He had been approached before, well-wishers that had sat down on the humbling earth beside him. Almost always, they would make an offer to end his isolation, to ease the pain and loneliness. Only once had someone actually been bold enough to reach to him and touch him on the shoulder, offering him nothing but the comforting silence of physical intimacy. That one touch he had been offered far too long ago as a young man had been more intimate and fulfilling than any act of sensual fulfilment he sensed could ever be.

In the end, all the well-wishing had been useless. They eventually seemed to feel that, for after a while, they gave up. Perhaps, if he had indulged in their sympathy, he could have led a normal life, staying out of danger. But he knew that if he had done so, the gift he had been given would have been wasted, doomed to rot away as he expired in his old age. It was unfortunate. Still, he remembered the touch he had been offered so long ago. It seemed to reproach him for wallowing in the past. _The moment I received the Rinnegan, I was destined to abandon companionship, at least until my quest was completed. I reject offers of camaraderie not out of a wish to be alone, but of the necessity to be alone. I cannot be Sacrifice if I cannot even give away the pleasures of friendship until necessity no longer requires my isolation. At least, I have become accustomed to being alone. There is no pain, only emptiness in the part of my human desire for comradeship, for the bonds of friendship._

He gave a small, wry grin at his thinking and surrendered himself to the truth. _Still, I cannot wait for the time I can embrace friendship again._ It felt good to admit to himself what he wanted. He had denied himself the hope for so long, believing that it would burden him with more sadness. Now by merely admitting his hope to himself, he had filled the emptiness that had previously filled his heart. Fuelled by a new determination to defeat the menace that threatened the world, he walked to his small table. He grabbed his staff and blade before walking to the door and opening it. _All this time, the only thing I had ever needed to assure myself of my duty had been self admittance_. With one last grin, except now a true one, he walked out into the chilly and dark night.

There was little sound except the rustling of the wind blowing through the trees. Animals did not venture in light forests anymore. Not since the Juubi had revealed itself and let known to the world the extent of its foul and repugnant chakra. Sacrifice vowed that he would fix the cataclysmic terror that had been dealt to nature. Animals would walk again, people would laugh again, and when all that finally happened, he would complete the last step of his mission and the world would be at peace.

The Juubi would rue the day it had decided to put the world in worse disarray than it had already been. It had no idea that its reign of terror would be so short-lived and that its most hated enemy would be the one to defeat it. Sacrifice smiled at the cold world that greeted him and with a flourish of his staff, bid it farewell as he set off to defeat the Juubi.

To recognise that he was the source of his own loneliness was not a cure for it. But it was a step toward seeing that it was not inevitable, and that such a choice was not irrevocable.

* * *

**Post-Prologue; Preface  
**_There will not be any authorial notes or analyses in following chapters so any who desire some background or information on the story and basic explanations, read it here before you go on with the story, because you will not get any other ones._

* Unmei no Me (運命の瞳) – advanced native translation (not dictionary word-by-word translation) from English to Japanese; definition: Eyes of Fate.

* Basic inspiration for the starting structure of this prologue for the beginning "manuscript" and personal retrospect analysis was inspired by the prologue of Golden Fool, second book of "The Tawny Man" trilogy, written by Robin Hobb.

* "To recognise that he was the source of his own loneliness was not a cure for it. But it was a step toward seeing that it was not inevitable, and that such a choice was not irrevocable." - Adapted quote from Golden Fool.

The Rikudo Sennin (Sage of the Six Paths) regards himself as the world's sacrifice, an obvious tribute to his character. His own nickname is Sacrifice, forced as I was to fashion a name for him. I couldn't just keep calling him Rikudo Sennin; it got redundant. Through this prologue, you can see that he was very much human with very human desires. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice his humanity to bring about peace is a faint reminder of canon-Nagato. The main difference between the two is that the Rikudo Sennin sees himself as Sacrifice and someone forced to become more than human for the sake of the world; he is also still compassionate and wants to avoid killing in his vision of peace. Nagato, on the other hand, sees himself as Pain and a deity, a would-be harbinger of widespread pain that would force an uneasy and fear-fuelled peace.

None of the following chapters will be as short as this one was. This is only the prologue. The story will not actually be about the Rikudo Sennin; this was merely an introduction to the nature of the first messiah in Naruto's world that will be more fully understood in the following chapters. I don't think anyone has actually written a story focusing on the Rikudo Sennin before, or if it has then I haven't seen it, so I may eventually take this prologue and write a story for it, set in the era that this prologue is set in. Anyway, this prologue is just a highlight of the Rikudo Sennin's humanity, setting the story up for the events that will occur in Naruto's era in later chapters.

Following chapters set in Naruto's era will be set in an alternate universe (AU) where events will, occasionally, not coincide with canon. Often times, there will be hidden or slight references made to events in our history and whenever any of my readers discover those, I encourage them to investigate. The things you will find will likely astound you. Of course, to detect any of these references, you must read closely and carefully; be an active reader. I don't mean annotate, no. I mean actively think about the words and phrases you read. It doesn't require much effort to do so.

And a last note about language in Unmei no Me: this story is written in British English (BrE). Major differences that are associated with this include dialogue. Dialogue will be surrounded with apostrophes instead of quotation marks, and instead of apostrophes surrounding citations in dialogue, quotation marks will. An example would be: 'But she really did express her desire to "raise the child by" herself, milord!' the servant exclaimed. Also, Japanese will only be used in this story where it is more artistic than English - no sentences will ever be completed in Japanese, only words or small phrases. And when Japanese is used, they are not dictionary word-by-word translations; I have a Japanese friend who uses his rather impressive native knowledge of his tongue to give me real, native translations. The kinds that people normally have to pay a professional translator for; so, credit to the correct usage of Japanese in this story goes to him - he wishes his name anonymous so that will not be given out. Just know that without him, any Japanese used in this story would be terribly messy.

With that, I wish you all an enjoyable experience as you read my story!

* * *

- K.E., R.  
Great Britain; July 14th, 2010


	2. Apprenticeship

**Unmei no Me**  
運命の瞳

* * *

_chapter_ I  
**Apprenticeship**

_The Rikudo Sennin's vocation seemed simple to many, but yet wishful and idealistic at best. He desired a world with no war, a world under one religion. He wanted to take the world out of its comfortable given path and set it on a different road. According to his teachings, history would always repeat itself in a never-ending circuit. People who forgot would make the same mistakes over again, giving in to greed, in the thought that their decisions alone would never affect the larger picture._

_ The whole of humanity had fallen for the wily temptations of avarice. Of course, people found this difficult to accept. It was difficult to unite the world under a religion that practises peace and understanding when the only way to achieve this, was if everyone understood history for what it was. The Rikudo Sennin understood this. If he waited for people to change one by one and for the good actions to accumulate, then it would take far too long. So he would speed things up. For this, he required something that would be the Catalyst. Something that would deify him. That Catalyst became his eyes. The Rinnegan._

_ The Rikudo Sennin claimed that he would change the world. The eyes that gave him the power to change the world also enabled him to see the problems that beset the world. Moreover, in those problems he saw, one actually managed to terrify him._

_ The single most terrifying thing was the Juubi. The Ten-Tailed beast was enough to bring despair to the entire world, its chakra so foul that no one was safe from its potent effects. There was no escaping it for the Rikudo Sennin. He would eventually defeat and even suppress the Juubi, sealing the beast into himself. This was only a temporary technique however. Finding a permanent solution to rid the world of the Juubi's evil became his life's focus. Eventually, he found a way._

_ He succeeded in his quest to rid the world of the Juubi and divided the beast into nine different, much weaker beasts. Even on his deathbed, he was able to use his power to imprison the Juubi's remains in what we now call the moon. He never succeeded in his quest to bring ultimate peace. People who didn't share his opinion, people who wanted a world divided, had succeeded in hampering his quest. And so he entrusted his dream to his two children, not knowing that they would fail spectacularly._

Summertime had come to the Land of Fire, embracing the Village Hidden in the Leaves in a pleasantly warm and sunny weather. The large thick wooden edifice of the village wall protected the village inside with a degree of cosiness that could only be matched by one's own bedroom. The walls jutted up from the ground, towering over everything inside the village, even the Hokage's tower itself. The green grass and abundance in wild trees was still growing from springtime several months ago. The Land of Fire was famous for its greenery, a strange irony given the nation's name. The largest nation in the group of elemental nations that dominated the continent was filled with teeming life, all competing for their fair share in the great nation's abundant natural resources. The sound of birds and bustling human life permeating through every building in the village, filling the people of the village with an undeniable pride that told them that they had the best.

The warm weather seemed to sweep away the problems troubling the man who watched over it all. The Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was an old man in a body that was not getting any stronger. He welcomed the sounds of life, letting it wash away most of his worries. Not that he could ever forget the one thing that troubled him the most. Time wasn't helping him find a way to fix the problem associated with Naruto. He was the leader of a village that no longer needed such a decrepit and senile man to guide them, but neither could he just abdicate. The uncertainty of the fate of the village prevented him from doing so. His stubbornness to give up hope of finding a suitable successor inadvertently made it impossible for him to devote his entire time to taking care of Naruto. He wasn't supposed to show any form of favouritism. Not as the Hokage. Yet, these problems did not stop him from experiencing the exhilarating feeling of breathing in the summer air and the music of the village's life.

It made him feel younger than he was.

He sat behind his desk, giving a hopeless look at the stacks of documents on the wooden surface. In front of his desk was a small child with blonde hair. The child was looking around the room, evidently curious in the inner workings of being the leader of the most powerful nation on the continent. Behind him were even more documents, tightened into scrolls and inserted into the scroll-racks. The hopelessness of the situation once again caught up with the old man who could not help but give the documents in front of him a disgusted, loathing filled look. Hiruzen sighed as he signed another document, wishing that he could be in his personal training area. He had restored the training area that had once been the place where the Shodai had meditated. The passive life there had died and withered in the aftermath of the Kyuubi attack, but it was back in its place as the paragon of the many beautiful training areas in the village designated for training shinobi. When he snapped back to reality, he noticed Naruto standing in front of the desk, giving him a wide-eyed stare. 'Yes, Naruto?'

'Old man, I'm hungry. Can we please go eat ramen?' Naruto gave the Hokage a piteously pleading look, prompting the man to groan helplessly.

'I'm sorry, Naruto. It's not that I don't want to take you to lunch, but I'm swamped with work right now.' Hiruzen thought carefully about the boy's ancestors. Minato, not only the now deceased Yondaime, but the boy's father, had been rather fond of ramen. He also knew that the boy was lonely. As an unknown orphan, the citizens of the village did not give him much attention.

Hiruzen understood Minato's wish to have Naruto seen as a hero and hailed as the one who would defeat and imprison the Kyuubi everyday of his life until his death. He didn't agree with it though, knowing that if the village knew the truth, the boy's life would be in danger. The villagers would make Naruto their pariah and Iwagakure would make the boy the target of their assassinations. No, it simply wasn't viable to make the truth of Naruto's circumstances widespread. For now, he was just another ordinary orphan with the usual aspirations of any child without a parent. To become a shinobi.

Naruto had been fascinating at a young age. Although the boy's desire to become a shinobi was not a particularly unusual ambition of the village's youth, he did have an uncanny ability to absorb information and improve. Hiruzen told himself that it was acceptable that the child be given material to study. His job was to make life for the people of Konohagakure better and to help the shinobi that protected it improve. And although Naruto was no shinobi yet, he found solace in classifying his generous charity to the child as pre-emptive action. The exercises he gave the boy weren't that complex; not more than simple techniques for beginners who needed their reign over chakra to be a little tighter.

'He'll grow up to be strong... I know it. I swear to you, Minato, that your child will be stronger than even you.' Hiruzen sighed. He had used enough time thinking about his unofficial ward and began scanning through his paperwork again. _Just you watch, Minato, just you watch._

'Naruto! It's good to see you again,' Ayame exclaimed. She had taken a liking to the young boy in front of her when she had first discovered the pure and innocent spirit inside. 'What do you want today?'

Naruto grinned at the older, teenage girl behind the counter in front of him. He exclaimed, with exaggerated grandeur, 'Just pork ramen today, Ayame! Two bowls please!' Ayame was one of his friends, indeed, one of his only friends.

Ayame smiled at Naruto with unbridled happiness. 'Sure Naruto! Coming right up!' She turned around and called to her father who was inside the house, 'Hey dad, our little bundle of sunshine here wants two bowls of pork ramen!'

Still grinning in obvious delight, Naruto thanked his friend. The stall was empty except for him, which delighted him. It meant that his orders came faster than they normally did. He noticed Ayame still looking at him. Naruto looked back, giving her a curious gaze. For a time, they both looked at each other, intent on staring the other down. When Ayame finally gave up and blinked, Naruto grinned triumphantly.

'So Naruto, how's your day been? Done anything cool lately?'

Naruto deduced the girl had apparently had a boring and uneventful day and decided that he would try to cheer her up with by infecting her with his contagious optimism. 'It was pretty good, Ayame. I asked the old man if he wanted to come eat with me, but he said he had too much work for now. I did manage to get a hang of another one of those control techniques though! And that means that I can finally get an even harder one!'

Ayame grinned at the boy's childish answer. 'That's fantastic, Naruto! You never know, that old geezer might give you something more special than usual as a reward.' She noticed her dad approaching her and moved out of the way, knowing that Naruto's attention would be diverted immediately to the noodles.

'Here you go, Naruto!' Teuchi gave Naruto a hearty smile and exclaimed, 'Enjoy!'

With a ferociousness that would have rivalled a rabid dog, Naruto drove into his ramen with unbridled delight, but not before giving his thanks. He knew his manners, having been taught them by the orphanage matron before the Hokage pulled him out and gave him his own apartment. And although he occasionally forgot them, he did try his best to be courteous. The old man had told him being polite would get him further as a shinobi than being rude, and every small titbit of advice was precious to him, especially if it meant getting him closer to becoming a powerful shinobi.

He could not possibly know that at that very moment, a meeting was underway that would change his life forever. And with the change that was to be wrought in his life, the lives of all those around him would also be irrevocably be changed. There was no way anyone could have guessed that an unknown orphan could end up playing such an important role in the future of the village.

-o-

'We have now come to our last topic we must address before this meeting is adjourned, and that is the future of our jinchuuriki,' announced the old village leader. His voice had no small amount of stress in it, as if to accentuate the importance of the issue at hand. Hiruzen was tired of having to discuss the same topic every meeting and he was determined to end the chain. 'It is my belief that it is in the best interest of not only Uzumaki, but also the village, that Uzumaki be given a tutor to nurture his potential as a shinobi for our village.'

A voice rose up in reply, sounding as old and tired as the Hokage had. 'This proposal has been made many times already, Sarutobi.'

Hiruzen sighed, trying to hide his exasperation. 'I know that we've discussed this before Koharu, but we must decide now. If we allow Uzumaki a head start, we could have the most powerful shinobi juggernaut to have ever been produced by this village. Don't forget that we have a debt that we must repay to the Yondaime.'

'If we're really going to give him early training, why not give him to me? I could have him ready for entrance into ANBU by the time he's thirteen.' Danzo smiled, knowing that he had finally cornered his old rival where no amount of logic would be able to overturn his; after all, the Hokage did wish for the arrangement of early training for the jinchuuriki. The senile old man would make himself look unreasonable if he declined the Danzo's offer in retrospect of the desire Sarutobi had expressed. Danzo had trapped the Hokage in the old man's very own desire to have his little favourite given special training. Danzo was determined to have some form of compensation, his own Ne organisation having been disbanded per order of the Hokage. _It's too bad he doesn't realise the extent of my influence over the organisation. The only thing he managed to do was make it harder for my operatives to complete their tasks, now that they're no longer an official division._

It was at that moment that the door to the conference room slammed open and a man with long, spiked white hair strode in, a grimace marring his features. It was obvious to the Hokage's advisors and Danzo that the man was in a particularly bad mood. The man stopped right as he approached the immediate left of Hiruzen, planting his two large hands firmly on the circular table. A shiver ran through Koharu and Homura at the glare they were receiving.

'Sensei, you really need to begin working on your debating skills,' the newcomer announced with flair. 'That or you need to begin pulling rank around here.'

The Hokage gave a short, barking laugh in reply. 'Ah, Jiraiya, I was wondering when you'd arrive. I do hope my secretary didn't give you too much trouble.'

The legendary shinobi only grinned, his intimidating stature immediately nullified by his friendliness. 'Nah, she wasn't. Although, it couldn't hurt to hire a more attractive one next time. This latest one is a bit of an eyesore.' Jiraiya began eying the three former shinobi acting as his once upon a time teacher's advisory group. The one cripple in that room, Danzo, was the one he particularly detested. 'And no, Danzo, we will not allow you custody of Naruto.'

The cripple, singled out, looked taken aback. He had not been prepared for this sudden intrusion and his hope for becoming the master of Konoha's only jinchuuriki quickly dissipated in the face of this new threat, Jiraiya. He narrowed his eyes at Jiraiya and muttered, 'Yes, Jiraiya-sama.'

'Now, we must move on. I am not Hokage, but I assure you, I have every legal right over Naruto that a normal parent would. So if I find anyone going behind my back on this and trying to manipulate Naruto to their own satisfaction...' Jiraiya left the threat hanging, the silence only amplifying the natural intimidation that came with being a legend.

Danzo almost groaned at the near direct insult. But with experience came tact and he knew it would put upon him too much spotlight, something he wanted to avoid. The fact that the jinchuuriki had been made the godson of someone so powerful and influential like Jiraiya annoyed him to no end. It made his life difficult. He knew that with a responsibility like the container whose father had been Jiraiya's own student that the spymaster would make sure to direct some of his information gatherers into Konoha. And with that information flowing into Jiraiya's hands, it made progress for his now officially defunct organisation difficult. _I'll lay low for now. Movement should be less constricting when the boy makes genin._

With that thought, Danzo nearly smiled. But refraining himself from doing so, he allowed another tempting thought to flow. _I shall aid along that little process and make sure the boy is well trained enough to graduate as soon as possible. In the end, the boy will become a shinobi and as much as Sarutobi may try to deny it, a shinobi is a shinobi village's tool, a weapon to be utilised in situations beneficial to the village. Uzumaki may not become my personal weapon, but I know even Sarutobi is smart enough to make sure everything mission assigned to Leaf-shinobi will eventually benefit Konoha._

'I do not believe anyone else has any issue with this. In that case, I think a tutor to be assigned to personally teaching Uzumaki is in order,' Hiruzen called out.

After Jiraiya's not so eloquent intimidation, the vote was unanimous. What the vote was not unanimous on, however, was the choice of tutor. The advisory group, now having realised the benefit of a well-trained jinchuuriki, was intent on making the best of the newly recognised opportunity to turn out yet another legend from Konoha's breed. Although Danzo was quiet, Koharu and Homura were both arguing with each other about who would be suitable as a teacher.

Tired of the delays and thoroughly annoyed, Jiraiya spoke again. 'Operative 009720 shall be the tutor. You two forget,' Jiraiya said, remembering that Danzo was no longer being uncooperative and continuing: 'that neither of you have the authority to override my personal choice of tutor for him. And since I believe I have the approval of the Hokage on this, neither will he.'

When Homura saw his old teammate nod, he knew his power over such a decision had been forcibly contained. Yet, he had to admit that the young captain would probably be the best choice. Although far from being the most experienced, he was one of the strongest, if not strongest, shinobi in the Hidden Leaf at that point. Experience would only come with time. _And yet... there is even more to be gained from this._ 'And how about an extra instructor? Someone even more talented than Kakashi, but younger and less experienced, someone who could only gain from the opportunity to instruct Uzumaki.'

At this, Hiruzen was interested. Seeing the look on his student's face told him Jiraiya was interested as well. _It couldn't hurt to find out what he's thinking. Annoying Homura may be, but he is still loyal to the village._ 'Who do you have in mind, Homura?'

'Chuunin 012110. The greatest shinobi the Uchiha has produced in generations.' Homura was smiling, his eye almost reaching into a wink.

'Ah, him? Itachi would be a suitable second instructor, would he not, Jiraiya?'

Jiraiya smiled. It seemed he was lucky today. The opportunities of ensnaring the young Uchiha in his web of spies and deceit were endless. 'Acceptable. Very well, the case is closed. Naruto will be trained by Hatake who will be assisted by Uchiha whenever the situation allows it.'

Hiruzen nearly laughed. Although Jiraiya would deny it, vehemently so, Jiraiya would still make for a good leader. Jiraiya's unorthodox charisma, if you could call it charisma, was far more effective than his own political tact. 'Advisors, you are dismissed.'

Danzo, Koharu, and Homura all got up, giving Sandaime a respectful nod. They filed out of the conference room in single file, all wary in their step as they passed by Jiraiya. For once, however, all three were satisfied in the same way by the meeting's outcome. Such unified contentment was rare, making the Hokage glad that the meeting had ended the way it had. It wouldn't have been possible if his student hadn't intervened, and for that Hiruzen was doubly glad. 'Thank you, Jiraiya.'

'It was nothing, I'm more interested in Naruto's wellbeing than those three know, and it shall stay that way. I've no wish for them to discover the extent of my knowledge in their doings, especially not Danzo.' Jiraiya plopped down on a chair by his former teacher and reclined, putting his leg up on the table.

Hiruzen smiled. 'That's good to know. Kakashi was an interesting choice though, Jiraiya. How did you ever come up with him?' Part of him suspected he already knew why, but he wanted to hear his student's intentions firsthand.

'Him? A whim. A whimsical notion, nothing more.'

Scoffing, he insisted. 'Really Jiraiya, come now. What's your reason?'

Jiraiya only laughed in reply. 'It's far too easy to tease you, sensei. Anyway, with Naruto's guaranteed chakra pool and his heritage, he is bound to become exceptionally adept with ninjutsu. Kakashi has plenty of jutsu in his repertoire; he'll be more than capable to make sure Naruto's ninjutsu isn't lacking.'

'And because of this large chakra pool he'll have, you don't think he'll be suitable for genjutsu training?'

'Believe me, Naruto could probably do that too. Haven't you told me that his chakra control is exceptional for his age? If it's exceptional for his age, it's nothing short of incredible when you add his already large reserves into the equation. I suspect Kakashi will emphasise the importance of chakra control to Naruto, which will only augment his already incredible ability of reign over his chakra.'

'Then why not make sure he also learns genjutsu?' This, Hiruzen did not know. He hadn't realised that his student had thought out the possibilities so thoroughly though. Then again, it was probably about time he stop underestimating Jiraiya. It would go a long way in restoring the close bond they had once had.

His student shrugged. 'Naruto will learn them eventually, even if it won't be from either Kakashi or me. Maybe Itachi can, if he even has any genjutsu that doesn't require the Sharingan. The real point is, if Naruto can control his chakra, which is sure to be larger than yours and mine combined, he'll be pandemonium; a monster to any opponent in a battle. Unstoppable. The combination of precise control like a genjutsu specialist or medic and a ninjutsu expert's repertoire would make him a god on the battlefield.'

'I see,' Hiruzen muttered. _He really has thought this all out. I'm proud of him. But... one last thing._ 'And how about taijutsu?'

'Kakashi is more than decent in that area as well. And you should know something as well, sensei. You know how a muscle grows right?' Receiving confirmation from his teacher, Jiraiya continued. 'Because he is a jinchuuriki, and of the Kyuubi no less, Naruto will have supercharged self-healing abilities. I've received reports of jinchuuriki of far lesser demons that deep gashes heal almost instantaneously. It's even been rumoured that some of the jinchuuriki of the slightly stronger demons can self-heal a fractured bone overnight. If Naruto had no desire to be a shinobi, he'd have more promise as an ordinary athlete than anyone has ever had in history.'

'Oh?' The old man hadn't heard of this before. He knew he was slowing down, but to the extent of not even knowing what kind of powers his own unofficial grandson would develop was something that alarmed him. He was not aware that his own information gathering abilities had deteriorated so heavily.

'Sensei, his muscles would heal almost instantly!' Jiraiya cried out, excitement taking a hold of him. 'He could be more physically fit and powerful than even Gai, and not even have to use the Kyuubi's chakra actively or open any of the gates!'

This was so incredible to Hiruzen that he nearly stood up in shock. 'And there is no drawback to making use of this reported regeneration ability?'

'None at all, Hiruzen.' Jiraiya had suddenly calmed down, his earlier excitement still there but contained as an undercurrent. 'Regeneration is not an active use of demonic chakra. It is simply an amplified effect of chakra in one's body. All shinobi with a decent amount of chakra in their body has some level of self-healing. Naruto has an unnaturally large amount of chakra, chakra definitely more potent than normal chakra, as any jinchuuriki is wont to have, but even more so than the jinchuuriki of other demons.'

'And you believe that Naruto will really have this... amplified passive ability? If you do, then this is big news. Obviously any lessons to build his strength will have to be watered down a bit for now, if we are to let his body grow to a normal stature.'

'Of course. We wouldn't want to stunt his growth just because we were too excited in trying to make him some kind of powerhouse.' Jiraiya was wide-eyed in mock shock that he would allow the unique opportunity a chance to turn detrimental. 'Anyway, it is in my every confidence that Naruto will have a regenerating ability beyond that of even the Hachibi jinchuuriki. The only thing we'd need to worry about is that Naruto gains minimal muscular mass compared to the growth of dense muscle fibre. Speed and stamina are what we need, not pure intimidation of an oversized muscle freak.'

Hiruzen nodded and got up. 'Very well. And I guess you intend on making Itachi another one of your... covert operatives?'

'Yeah. Plus, his presence and his own talent will be good for Naruto. Give Itachi a few years and he'll probably be stronger than Kakashi is. And as socially awkward as he is, Naruto will probably feel a deeper connection to Itachi than to Kakashi, being closer of age. Besides, the more personal training from the village's "geniuses" that Naruto gets can only be good for him.' Jiraiya would not deny that the geniuses the village turned out were useful. From a first glance by an uninformed individual, labelling select few as geniuses seemed almost harsh to any who weren't selected.

But reality was often harsh. That, Jiraiya knew. He knew very well how harsh and cold reality was. The truth was, labelling a few as being geniuses increased prestige, increased the motivation of other shinobi to train harder, and ultimately, brought more business and prosperity to the village. And it wasn't like those who were labelled genius didn't deserve it. Sure, there were those who deserved the prestige of being called one that were never labelled one, but any that were had always deserved the honour. At least, that had been the case so far. Even Orochimaru had deserved the mark of genius before he went rogue. There had been past generations where no geniuses had been present, generations that always turned out disappointments as shinobi.

It was a good thing that was a rare occurrence. And the fact that two of the village's current geniuses were going to be assigned to teaching the one who Jiraiya knew would definitely emerge as the next one delighted his aging heart. He knew that Minato would be overjoyed that just as Minato had been, Naruto would become a once in a generation type genius. After all, fathers were like that.

Even ones that were eternally trapped in the Shinigami's stomach.

-o-

Hiruzen waited quietly in his office, once again alone in his musings. His student had gone off again, having only stopped by at his request of aid in making sure Naruto was going to be properly educated. What he had been told today had shocked him to the core. While he had always known that Naruto was exceptionally gifted, he hadn't realised the extent of Naruto's potential. Naruto was a veritable goldmine of potential, brimming to the cup in, as of yet unused, talent.

He had requested Kakashi and Itachi personally a short while ago when Jiraiya had left. His student trusted him to make sure everything was done correctly. The show of trust was not lost on him. He realised that Jiraiya was giving him another chance to repair the kinship they had once shared. The kinship that had been shattered when he had failed to stop Orochimaru so long ago. _Anyway... the two should be arriving just about now._

A pair of shinobi materialising in his office confirmed his prediction. He had guessed correctly. Kakashi was never late when the call related to ANBU. Honouring his past teammates meant also not failing his current comrades, comrades that were in far greater danger than others. Missions assigned to ANBU were dangerous, far more dangerous than those the ordinary faction of shinobi received. And in the spirit of the faction of shinobi that he belonged to, he materialised by rising out of the office floor slowly, crouched in the customary bow.

Itachi's arrival was an ordinary one, as expected of shinobi belonging to the ordinary faction. Itachi simply opened the door, stepping into the office at the same time Kakashi fully materialised.

'Hello, Kakashi, Itachi.' The two shinobi now standing before him nodded respectfully. 'The mission I am going to assign to you two is of utmost importance and is key in Konoha's future strength and security. Although you may have doubts as to the importance of this, you will see over time that it is as important, if not more, as I have said it to be.'

Once again, the two only nodded back at him. It was a testament to their trust in their leader, a trust that would take them to their deaths if it was ever required. The unconditional trust the pair put in him almost made him choke with guilt, knowing that he was old and no longer in the best condition to truly lead the village's military. Hiruzen sighed and said, 'You two are to watch over Naruto Uzumaki and act as his teachers. You two are to be a team on this mission. And along with this, one of you will have to take him in and act as his guardian.'

Although there was no hesitation or wavering in their steadfast trust, they did widen their eyes. Kakashi more so, since he was privy to the knowledge of Naruto's heritage as well as his status as jinchuuriki. And it was Kakashi who spoke first, asking, 'Is that the extent of our responsibility for the mission, Hokage-sama?'

Hiruzen nodded. 'Yes, Kakashi. By assigning one of you to be his official guardian for the years to come, one of you will actually be charged with more responsibility than the other. It does not concern me as to which one of you will act as his guardian; the same will be accomplished. Whatever the decision is between you two, as it is entirely up to you two, both of you will be acting as his teachers. And that means that Naruto is as prepared for being a shinobi as anyone can be.'

'Hokage-sama?'

'Yes, Itachi?'

'What can we teach him?' He may not have shown it, but Itachi understood the importance of Naruto's education. He hadn't been officially informed but the combination of his impressive and deadly intellect plus the Sharingan had made him aware of the fact that Naruto was the container of the Kyuubi.

Hiruzen almost grinned. Itachi was evidently more enthusiastic than he let on. 'Anything you deem important to being a shinobi. Jutsu, chakra control, attitude, general education, anger management, and anything else you can think of. I intend on showing the world we have not grown soft in our complacency.'

Itachi nodded and glanced at Kakashi. After a moment's deliberation, a conversation that he knew his commander couldn't hear, Itachi announced that he would be Naruto's guardian.

This was surprising to the old man who had been suspecting that Kakashi would take hold of the responsibility as guardian. Trustworthy and talented he may be, Itachi was still young and he had not thought that Itachi would volunteer for it. Still, it was a pleasant surprise. Either of them would have been acceptable to him; both were responsible enough for such a task. 'Very well, Itachi. I thought I should let you know, this is classified an S-rank mission for you. Not only that, but I have also deigned it a mission only for ANBU operatives.' Hiruzen grinned, knowing that Itachi had been working for it ever since Itachi had attained chuunin.

Itachi nearly gasped, recognising the honour that he was being given. 'Thank you, Hokage-sama.'

Smiling, Hiruzen warmly replied, 'It warms my heart to see you be so accepting of this rather sudden call of duty. Anyway, until Naruto graduates and becomes a genin, this will be your only mission. At the end of the mission, you will be paid accordingly in ratio to the length of your S-rank mission.'

Kakashi spoke up once more. 'And me, Hokage-sama?'

'Kakashi, your mission lasts the same length but for you, it will be only an A-rank mission since you will not be Naruto's guardian. The ratio will be paid accordingly, but when Naruto enters the academy, you are welcome to take any mission up to B-rank but, you are not required to do so. Your first priority until Naruto graduates is Naruto's education.'

'Very well. We shall carry this mission to the best of our abilities, sir.' Kakashi nodded, Itachi doing so in unison.

The briefing had gone better than he had expected. Hiruzen had not suspected that Itachi would be so enthusiastic, even if the enthusiasm was well concealed under a tight, impassive facade. At least, it was sincere. Kakashi was just as enthusiastic, though perhaps for more personal reasons. Although he was slightly concerned about Itachi taking up guardianship of Naruto, it was only because he was not sure how agreeable the Uchiha would be to their ten year old prodigy, nearly eleven and newly instated ANBU by order of the Hokage, to housing a near-six-year-old orphan. He would let Itachi arrange that by himself, and if Itachi needed any help, he would give it. 'There is a bit more information that you must know before Naruto arrives, Itachi. Kakashi already knows.'

Itachi nodded, accepting that as a less experienced and lower ranked shinobi, there was bound to be things that had been kept from him. It was only natural. Unofficial confidence only went so far; it did not violate the right of rank.

'First, Naruto is the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. I suspect you have already deduced this by yourself through observation, so I shall not give you an explanation. You probably already know why, and if you don't, Kakashi has my permission to tell you later. Second, Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage. This, you probably did not know until now.'

'Correct, sir. The first fact I have suspected for some time now. The second, I was not aware of.' Inwardly, Itachi was surprised. The budding resemblance was there, but there had never been anything else besides being a jinchuuriki to suggest the familial connection.

'Good,' the Hokage said, nodding to himself, affirming what he had already believed. 'And that is why he must be taught now, and by the best available. Both of you shall be given a report written by Jiraiya of the Sannin detailing Naruto's natural passive abilities and potential to read. It is imperative that you memorise everything in the report to make sure you understand the full extent of Naruto's massive potential.'

The two nodded again and the silent wait began. While the Hokage fiddled with his finished documents, Itachi and Kakashi simply stood, quietly pondering implications of the mission. It was evident that the mission was of the highest order, being commissioned by the Hokage himself. They both knew it was likely that even the Hokage's advisory committee had given their approval. The fact that Jiraiya was evidently also involved only served to emphasise the importance of the mission.

Itachi wondered how he would break the news to his family. He loved his mother, he really did. He had no doubt that she would be somewhat upset when he told her his plan for the terms of the guardianship, but she would acquiesce nonetheless. His father, however, was the unknown variable. Although he was sure to be glad that his son had already made it into the ANBU, he probably wouldn't react too well that his first mission would be to take guardianship of an orphan. _Perhaps telling him it is an S-rank mission commissioned by the Hokage himself will alleviate the blow he will probably feel. I can only hope he doesn't overreact when he hears my plan on how to approach the guardianship._

Kakashi had no such qualms. The advantage of having no remaining family was that no one could complain to him whenever he did anything that had the potential to damage his family name. His family name was just that, a name. He did not feel it was special in any way. He did allow himself to wonder why he had allowed Itachi to volunteer, especially since he was the one that had no ties to stop him or worry him if he had been the one to volunteer. The feverish desire Itachi had expressed during their private deliberation was probably it. He had never seen Itachi so excited for something, even if the excitement had been well hidden. He knew how to read expressions and he had read Itachi like one of his Icha Icha novels, even if Itachi was exceptionally skilled at hiding feelings.

Of course, that didn't dilute the matter that he had allowed someone other than he to take over guardianship of his former teacher's son. That in of itself disturbed him. Perhaps he wanted to avoid having to be held responsible for such an important matter? He was honest with himself – he liked avoiding responsibilities that he felt were too large. Perhaps this was simply another case of him shying away from responsibility. _But to avoid the responsibility of his son? What kind of student am I? The matter is done, I cannot change it. Perhaps I can make up for this lapse in my judgement by doing my utmost best to make sure Naruto receives the best education he can get. He will need it if he's going to stand up to the Hokage's expectations._

Hiruzen had not missed the play emotions that played on Kakashi's face. He knew that Kakashi was probably feeling a measure of guilt for not taking up the mantle of responsibility but when Kakashi's face seemed to stop contorting to match emotions and seemed to rest on a satisfied, nearly invisible smile, he knew that Kakashi had resolved the internal matter. _Now then, where is that Naruto? He should be here now._

It was at that moment just as the Hokage was about to call for another operative to look for Naruto that the child was ushered into the office by an ANBU operative. His posture as he entered the office to report success betrayed nothing, giving only the impression that the task had gone unhindered and that there was nothing particularly worrying about how long it had taken him. 'May I take my leave now, Hokage-sama?' he asked.

'Yes. You are dismissed, Tenzo. Thank you for bringing Naruto.'

The man now identified as Tenzo nodded and bowed, walking out the door and closing it again.

Turning his eyes on the child in front of him, he allowed a warm smile to grace his features, making him seem far younger than his years. 'Hello Naruto.'

'Hi, you old man. You should have joined me for lunch today!' Naruto had had fun; having been told earlier after he had finished eating by Teuchi that Ayame was free for the afternoon. They had spent most of the afternoon playing together, much to Teuchi's delight.

'Ah, I'm sorry Naruto, but I did secure for you a plan to properly begin your shinobi training if it's any consolation.' _Hoot, line, and sinker_, Hiruzen thought as he watched Naruto's smile turn into a grin.

'Really?' Naruto had been waiting for this. He knew he was obscenely young, but was also aware of past shinobi who had even graduated before the age of six. He would not be the first and he was going to take full advantage of this. Not that he knew why he was being given the chance – but when you're an orphan and you're offered a chance of a lifetime, you take the offer.

Hiruzen chuckled heartily. 'Of course!'

Naruto nearly froze up. It felt unreal. Only earlier today, Ayame had hinted that he might get something more important than usual for mastering his last exercise. Could she have known? No, she couldn't have. 'So... what's going to happen, milord?' In the heat of the moment, Naruto had deferred to the raw respect he'd always had for the Hokage.

'These two are going to be your teachers from now on. Their names are Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. And Naruto, you'll be living under Itachi's care for the next few years until you have graduated and become genin at which time you may choose to live in your own apartment.'

He looked at the two shinobi standing off at the side of the room, trying to figure out the one whose name was Itachi. When he couldn't figure it out, he turned back to the Hokage and asked, 'Err hey, old man, which one is Itachi?'

'I am Itachi Uchiha, Naruto,' Itachi said, stepping forward. He wanted to get the meeting over with and finish the preparations. There was still the matter of explaining this to his parents, an inevitability that annoyed him somewhat. No doubt Sasuke would also be displeased. 'We will discuss the arrangements later.'

Naruto nodded and smiled. The one he'd be living with seemed to be close to his age! Perhaps, they'd have a few things in common that he might not have with the older one, evidently Kakashi Hatake. 'Okay, Itachi-sensei. And you are Kakashi-sensei?' Naruto asked, looking pointedly at the man still in his ANBU uniform, sans the mask.

Kakashi nodded. He'd like Naruto better than he'd thought he would. Of course just being the son of Minato made it natural, but the semi-mature behaviour was a plus for him. 'That's right, Naruto.'

Hiruzen then decided at that point that the three could get acquainted without him. He dismissed them, calling out one last titbit of information. 'Uniforms are not required!' he yelled out after them before sighing. _And now, I just watch. I feel helpless. So much for my earlier enthusiasm._

On the stairs leading to the ground and exit of the tower, the group of three walked in companionable silence. At least, that was until Naruto broke the silence.

'So uh... what now?' He couldn't help it. He wanted to know as soon as possible what the plan was for him.

Itachi looked at Kakashi and back at Naruto. He was still unsure of his own plan for the guardianship, but there was nothing he could do to improve the plan. He had already gone through all the scenarios in his mind. 'We shall be your teachers. Until you graduate from the academy as a genin, you will be with us. Everything we tell you to do, you obey. As far as you are concerned, little Naruto, our word is law.' Itachi wondered if what he had said was a little harsh, but it he didn't know any other way. He'd been brought up in a harsh and demanding way of life.

Kakashi didn't hesitate at all. 'What Itachi has said is true. If we are to be your teachers, you must listen carefully to everything we say. While there are deeper constructs at work in what we shall teach you, that will wait until you are a little older. We will begin with simple things first, some things you may already know.'

The child, bug-eyed at the lecture he was being given, listened aptly. It made sense to him. He would only learn well if he listened well. That was his part of the bargain to uphold. It wasn't unreasonable, not to him. Naruto also knew that the complicated, more mentally taxing lessons would naturally come later when his mind was more developed. He wasn't smart enough to handle complex information yet. _And that's where they come into play!_

The silence was confirmation for Itachi that the boy understood and Kakashi acknowledged this as well. Clearing all hesitation from his voice and schooling himself into impassivity, he said, 'You probably already know of the Uchiha Clan. Because I am from that clan, it would be difficult to house you in my family house along with the rest of my family. My solution is that we will take one of the smaller, more secluded houses and rent it out.'

Kakashi was already aware of the gist of things. He and Itachi had discussed the rough idea of it back in the office. This time, however, Itachi was going into more detail. It wouldn't hurt to listen carefully.

Naruto on the other hand, while listening carefully, was struggling to keep himself from being overwhelmed. Sure, he wasn't going to be adopted and have an actual family. But that wasn't necessary. What he was being given now was just as good. To share a house with another was something he'd been wanting. _This is going to be fantastic. No going home to a lonely apartment anymore!_

'Since it will be a smaller and somewhat more secluded house, we will not be bothered very much by the rest of my clan. And because the house is located inside the perimeter of the Uchiha Clan's land, outsiders without permission will be unable to get to us. This would be perfect for training you privately. Of course, Kakashi-taichou will have the clearance to enter the premises at any time he desires.' Itachi ended his monologue there. The plan itself was reasonable. He only hoped it would go as well as it sounded.

'I see. Will either of you... you know, ever have to leave for a mission?'

Initiating the first physical contact that any of them had made towards each other, Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair. He had no idea that the small act of kindness and friendliness had forever won over Naruto's heart, earning him a loyalty so stout that the boy would have killed himself rather than choose between the Hokage and he. 'No, Naruto. Until you are a genin, our only mission is to teach and look after you.' Kakashi did not sugar-coat his words. There was no point in hiding from the boy that they had been ordered to teach him, not suddenly volunteering out of kindness.

Smiling again, Naruto let out a content sigh. Idly, he wondered why this was happening. It was still out of his ability to work out why he was being given such blatant favouritism, but that didn't stop him from trying anyway. It had been evident ever since he had started visiting his grandfather figure of his own accord that the old man held him over others. 'Okay, thanks Kakashi-sensei. So, are we going towards where I'm going to be staying now?'

Itachi gestured at Kakashi discretely which told Kakashi everything Kakashi needed to know. When Kakashi made his excuse and left, Itachi turned back to face a curious Naruto. 'We have to meet my parents first, Naruto, before we can go to where we shall be staying and training. I do not believe it will take very long and after that, we will begin. Kakashi will begin joining us tomorrow.'

'Okay,' Naruto agreed. 'Are they nice?'

Itachi held back from smiling. It would have been disturbingly dry, implicative of an absolute opposite from nice. 'You will like my mother, I think. My little brother is about your age so he may like you or he may not. My father... you shall see.'

_Well that's a strange answer_, Naruto thought. He may not have had very much experience with families but what he understood was that love and trust were supposed to be a given. Obviously, Itachi's family was far from the archetype of that if his avoidance of the question was any indication. 'Err, okay, Itachi-sensei.'

The two walked in silence after that, neither of them deciding to say anything. They were both far too preoccupied to delve headlong into casual conversation at that point. Itachi, the reaction his family was likely to express. Naruto, wracking his brain for why he was being given tutors. The silence didn't last very long and they entered the Uchiha compound after Itachi exchanged a few words with the military police on guard. There was noticeably quieter atmosphere and far fewer people walking around.

They stopped when they reached what almost seemed like a compound inside a compound. The manor inside was large and its green gardens even more expansive. There were no guards. The Uchiha had always been confident of its loyalty to one another, to the point that they couldn't even consider an Uchiha murdering another. The very thought would have been absurd to any clan member.

Itachi gently opened the doors leading to the greeting room of his house. He knew the entire family was probably eating right now. It was getting late and to start dinner this late in the evening without him would not have been alarming. It was almost normal now. Ushering his charge in after him, he removed his shoes and gesturing to Naruto to do the same. His steps on the wooden floor made no sound, grace honed by desperate training, a training edging on insane.

The house was mostly silent, broken only by Naruto's inexperienced and, in Itachi's eyes, clumsy steps. As they approached where he knew the rest of his family would be eating, sounds of his mother talking reached him. She was probably admonishing his little brother for something.

Naruto was unsure of himself at this point. He did not understand why Itachi simply did not announce his arrival upon entering and why they were being so quiet. It was strange to him. Not only to be in another's house, but to have his only concept of what a family was be battered into submission. _I don't understand this at all._

And still, he allowed himself to be guided despite the absurdity of the situation.

It was, after all, very possible that this was indeed how families actually were. It wasn't like he had the experience to lay claim to.

Besides, what was the point of questioning it if he was supposed to follow Itachi anyway? His family couldn't be that bad.

At this point, Itachi had reached the door. Without a word, he pushed it open and walked into the room. His family sat there eating dinner, but given his sudden entrance, was now looking at him strangely. Their eyes widened when they saw the child behind him. Itachi almost smiled. It was amusing to see his family so surprised. 'Hello father, mother. Hello, little brother. This child behind me is Naruto Uzumaki.'

Naruto managed a smile. He wasn't used to attention, especially not when those fixated on him all expressed some form of surprise. 'Heh, hello.'

Itachi's father was the first to break out of his reverie. 'Itachi, what is this about?'

'Fugaku! There's no need to be so cold,' admonished the only woman present. 'Come now son, sit down and have dinner with us. You too, Naruto. No, no need to be nervous. I won't bite.'

As he watched his son and the tailing boy, Fugaku felt a measure of impatience. Itachi should have given him advance warning before bringing a stranger into their house. To him, it felt wrong. But he waited. He was confident that Itachi would give an explanation anyway. His other son, Sasuke, was still gaping. 'Sasuke, stop looking like that.'

With that, he was obeyed. It was to be expected of his son. Sasuke may not have shown the same amount of promise as Itachi, but Sasuke was still his son. And with that blood came well-seated superiority.

Itachi sat down gingerly on the mat, Naruto following suit next to him. Their space was somewhat restricting because of the small, four-man table that was being used to eat dinner. Satisfied that Naruto was comfortable enough to start eating, he began. 'I have been accepted into ANBU, father.'

To that, Fugaku raised his eyebrows. This was interesting news and certainly unexpected. 'Oh? You were only made chuunin less than a year ago.'

'Yes. It was unexpected, but a welcome reward for me. Naruto is my first mission.'

Mikoto almost gagged on her food but schooled herself before she lost face. _Assasination?_

Almost as if Itachi had read her mind, he resumed his explanation. 'For the next several years until Naruto graduates as a genin, I am to be his personal teacher along with Kakashi Hatake. Along with that, I am to be his legal guardian until he graduates at which point, Naruto may choose to leave and live on his own again.'

Sasuke stopped eating again, despite his father's stern look. He had not been expecting this. Itachi was his brother! And this boy, this stranger, was going to be his brother's focus for the next six or so years? The thought left him nauseous. He choked. 'What?'

Naruto was becoming increasingly uncomfortable again. He was getting bad vibes from the one called Sasuke. And although Itachi's mother seemed nice enough, his father looked viciously calculating.

Itachi smiled at Sasuke. 'Do not worry, Sasuke. I am not done explaining yet.'

'Then please, continue.' Fugaku wasted no time in trying to hurry his son. He was an impatient man by nature.

_I'm surprised father hasn't said anything particularly snide yet. This... goes against what I was expecting._ Itachi held in a sigh and continued. 'I shall be taking residence in the house at the south-west corner of the compound. It is secluded but well protected, still being inside the compound and under the clan's protection. It also has a large and also densely wooded training area that I will be able to use for training Naruto. A side benefit to this plan, as I see it, is that the house is within walking distance of this house. Depending on Naruto's decision, visits are not ruled out.'

'It's not!' Naruto blurted out before looking back at the food laid out in front of him, shamefaced that he had been unable to control his voice. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be disruptive.'

'It's fine, dear. Don't worry too much.' Mikoto smiled kindly upon the young blonde child sitting diagonally to the immediate right of her. She almost felt sympathy that the boy was being trained by Itachi. Son Itachi may be, but she was aware of his training that bordered on impossible. She worried that exercises only those with the Sharingan should ever undertake would be used on the young boy in an attempt to improve agility. She looked at her younger son and said, 'See Sasuke? You'll be able to see your brother still.'

Sasuke managed a small nod, summoning a small weak for his mother. The mother he deeply loved. He loved his father, but it felt different with him. With his father, it felt more like a need to impress. He forced himself to look at the other boy, Naruto. _Maybe he won't be so bad... it's not like he was the one who assigned Itachi the mission. And if he's willing to allow visits, then he can't be all that bad._

'I see,' Fugaku grumbled out. 'Your plan is well thought out, Itachi. As expected of my son. Very well, the situation you have presented to us is acceptable.' And really, it was. Once more, he was proud that his prodigy son had achieved yet another milestone. He had not expected Itachi to make ANBU until a couple years later.

_I didn't even need to tell him the mission is an S-rank. Wonderful. This is going far better than I had anticipated. Sasuke seems to be taking this in stride. Very, very good._ 'Thank you, father.'

The rest of the dinner went without a hitch. Despite the near palpable tension at the beginning, Naruto had managed to enjoy himself. The food he had eaten was the best he had ever eaten and Itachi's mother, he found, was wonderful company. At one point, he even managed to make Sasuke laugh. He discovered what it was like to feel accepted in a family setting. _This is amazing..._

-o-

As Naruto stepped toward the room Itachi had shown him to be his room for the foreseeable future, he felt elated. It was dark out now and he was getting tired. Itachi was still in the small living room, cleaning up. The dinner had taken longer than Itachi had apparently expected so the training would instead begin in the morning. Instead, they had deferred to scrolls and other basic tomes on chakra theory. It had not taken Itachi long to move both their belongings, few as they were. The mini library of theory scrolls and an assortment of other subjects now in the living room had been acquired by Itachi during dinner through use of a single shadow clone.

Itachi was unbelievably cool.

Sure, the old man was the Hokage, but there was something about Itachi that just made him seem all that more... more. Well, cooler.

He would pass his judgement on Kakashi's coolness tomorrow.

In the end, his young thoughts lost out against his exhaustion and he collapsed on the bed in his room unceremoniously, not having even changed into his nightwear yet. He idly wondered how Itachi had gotten all the furniture in the house moved in so quickly and dismissed it as one the quirks of being a good shinobi. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

Itachi let a small smile grace his lips as he watched Naruto fall asleep. _Sleep well, Naruto, for tomorrow you will experience true training. None of your past experience in studying will be able to compare to how difficult tomorrow will be. Make no mistake – I will not go easy on you because you are young._

He started heading for his own room, keen on resting after his long day. He would make Naruto a monster on the battlefield and a genius in intellect rivalling that of the Nara Clan. And if he could have his way, a master of genjutsu. His reputation was hanging on the success of this mission.

And Itachi Uchiha did not fail.

Never.


	3. Shinobi

**Unmei no Me**  
運命の瞳

* * *

_chapter_ II  
**Shinobi**

_Shinobi have always claimed only to want nothing more than the pleasure of coin to satisfy the destitution that has been the lot of the persecuted and loathed dagger-cloak assassins of the Elemental Nations for generations. This claim is not a lie, but can still be dismissed as clever deceit. Shinobi wanted more, as humans always have. They wanted power. They wanted status. They wanted the respect that came with fear. Their intention was to slowly gain the approval of the Elemental Nations and mould would-be assassins into superhuman warriors, possessing unworldly powers that the samurai could never match. Then they would take the status of respect and station from the samurai and make it their own. A part of their ploy was to claim that the Rikudo Sennin, Sacrifice to the world, messiah of the gods and sealer of the feared Juubi, had always desired a world where people could tap into the unknown founts of power hidden in chakra, and that this power should be used to fulfil the pleasures of the wielders. Legends of the Rikudo Sennin's hidden writings spoke of his private wishes that the masses stop trusting the samurai for protection and instead turn their attention to shinobi, the ones who had taken the Rikudo Sennin's teachings to another level. For this, shinobi have, in the past, also been known as the Acolytes of Sacrifice._

_ Their ridiculous claims that were intended to grant the rising group of new-order warriors a form of legitimate ground succeeded all too well. The clever campaign of the shinobi had achieved what they wanted and more. In less than a generation, shinobi were elevated from their lowly status of cowardly dark interlopers to warriors capable of destroying entire cities in a blink of an eye. And with that kind of status came respect, and with that respect diverted to shinobi, the Order of the Samurai began to die. The ways of chivalry and honour slowly died out over the generations and the wars waged in the continent evolved. In the eyes of the masses, the Rikudo Sennin's wish for peace had been achieved. Nations no longer waged skirmishes and large-scale battles of armies of thousands of samurai battling for victory. Perhaps the rulers of the nations themselves were scared of shinobi._

_ And yet that can be dismissed as foolish thinking. After all, it was far simpler for leaders to commission a few shinobi to sabotage and kill key authority figures than it was to mobilise an army of ten thousand samurai. It is often said that in the early days of this evolution of war, that a single shinobi could easily receive pay rivalling that of the salaries of a thousand samurai combined._

_This is not the result of a wandering group of peoples that fought for equality and freedom from the poverty that had gripped their nomadic tribes for generations. This is the result of destitute groups combining their hatred of those well off to fuel a determination to gain the power that only the Rikudo Sennin had ever wielded before them. Thus was born the Five Great Nations, whose military strength lay in the shinobi that had decided on settlement in their countries._

Mindful of the numbing headache and tingling right arm, Naruto silently crept from his bedroom to the kitchen, a small area that was really part of the living room. He had woken not ten minutes ago, discovering exactly why collapsing on the bed without bothering to position yourself before falling asleep was a bad idea. He had crushed his arm under his torso the entire night, cutting off much of the blood flow going into his arm. Ten minutes later and the arm was still slightly blue. And apparently, he had aligned himself in such a way that stressed his neck, explaining the headache that now plagued the forefront of his concerns.

It was still early. His clock had told him 6:13, roughly two hours earlier than he normally rose. Assuming Itachi was still asleep, he figured that having a quick early breakfast would not hurt. After all, he did not know exactly how hard his training would be. However hard it was though, he would probably want the extra energy. And so when he opened the cupboard and discovered ingredients and simple materials needed to make normal meals, he gasped and stood stock-still, mouth still agar.

It was in this state that Itachi discovered his student, five minutes later. Apparently, Naruto did not know how to make normal meals. He would have to work on Naruto's culinary skills as well. A shinobi was well-versed in all subjects, and cooking was not exempt. You could never know when knowing how to cook for yourself could save your life. Even he did not know how many times he had avoided poisoned meals by making his own food.

And yet, what could Naruto have been doing for meals all his life? _That is a matter for another time, I guess. I shall teach Naruto how to cook later. For now, there are more important topics to breach._ 'Naruto?'

Naruto cocked his head towards Itachi, shaking himself from his reverie. 'Heh, I guess I was just unsure what exactly to do for breakfast, sensei.' _How long was I standing here? Must've looked like an idiot._

'It's fine. I'll set breakfast up for us and we'll begin afterwards. I expect Kakashi-taichou will arrive around nine o'clock. He isn't known for being particularly prompt, so don't ever expect him to be. You will likely only disappoint yourself.' With that, Itachi walked into the small part of the living room that had been declared the kitchen and began his preparation. It'd be a simple meal. Plain omelette with milk would suffice.

As Naruto sat at the small table in the room, a table small enough to be a mere tea table, he observed Itachi. It was apparent that his teacher was a person of many skills. And to some degree, it unnerved him. Itachi was his senior, true, but barely. How could someone so young be so experienced? _How will I ever be able to match someone like him?_

Of course, he would train his hardest. He'd do everything his teachers told him to do. He would trust them with his education, his life, _his future_. To Naruto, that was the most important of all. What the future held for him, he didn't know. But if there was one thing he was going to make reality, it was become his village's staunchest, most powerful defender. The skills associated with becoming a shinobi were an attraction factor to him, but it wasn't just that. He owed his life and happiness to the old man, his grandfather and the Hokage. He had been shown special kindness, and he was going to repay it.

But first, there was breakfast to do away with. _Even his omelette smells amazing._ 'That our breakfast, Itachi-sensei?'

'Yes. I'm sorry if it seems a little plain...'

'It smells great! I didn't know you could cook so well, sensei!'

Itachi was taken aback. He had been expecting some form of childish complaint and to be proven wrong felt good, so he smiled. He set down the two plates on the table and without ceremony, began eating. He finished quickly, his student not far behind him. There were far more important things to spend time on than dawdle on breakfast.

As Naruto followed Itachi into what was apparently their training area, he couldn't help but notice that the trees didn't thin out a bit. All the more well-known, public training areas were more or less grassy clearings, mostly devoid of trees to accommodate training. It seemed like Itachi had different ideas. Barely holding back his excitement as he followed Itachi, he failed to notice that several of the trees around them were scratched, the bark gouged off the actual trees themselves. It was something of a secret; Itachi used the place as his personal training grounds. He preferred the thick foliage for training to wide expanses of clearing.

The pair came to a stop at a large, sawed off trunk. The trees that surrounded the trunk formed a rough oval and numerous training targets littered the surrounding trees. It was eerily quiet, not even the sound of a birdcall could be heard. Even though it was no forest and really only a wooded area in the large property that the Uchiha Clan owned, it was nearly as dark as one. It was about as similar to Training Area 44 as any training area in the village could legally be.

The low level of ambient light that permeated through the treetops was what was attractive to Itachi. No one could see him training and the slight darkness was an extra, welcome challenge to him. It wasn't a drastic difference, but being able to adjust to be able to fight in darker conditions was an advantage he would not pass up. If he could fight as well in the dark as another could in bright conditions, then he'd be the better fighter. He didn't mind that his student knew of his personal training area, and nor did he mind that Kakashi knew. Naruto was his student and Kakashi was a colleague. Kakashi could be trusted as a fellow shinobi and Naruto was young enough that he could easily impress upon Naruto the importance of the area being kept secret.

Looking at his student, he raised an eyebrow. Naruto was already examining the closest target, evidently curious as to how accurate the targets' user had been. Clearing his throat, he said, 'I never miss the centre, Naruto. No need to examine those.'

Naruto looked back at his teacher, mouth open. He hadn't thought it was possible to have impeccable aim. And there it was proof of his teacher's words gouged into the target itself. 'This is where you train, sensei?'

Itachi nodded. There probably wouldn't be another chance as good as this to explain to Naruto. 'Whenever I can, I train here. But it'd be best if you kept quiet about this place; I have no wish for my fellow clan members to start coming here. I enjoy my privacy when I train.'

A reminder wouldn't be needed. Naruto immediately memorised the indirect command, respecting his teacher's decision and feeling honoured that he was privy to such information. 'Alright, sensei! I can keep a secret. Is Kakashi-sensei also aware of this place?'

'Yes, he is. As my superior and your other teacher, it was required that he know. I will hold you to your word, Naruto.'

'Heh, you can count on me, Itachi-sensei. So, how do we start?'

Itachi nearly hesitated in his response. He hadn't taught anyone before, so what he was going to try was, in his eyes, experimental. Naruto did not have the Sharingan, but he would force Naruto through the same training he had done. It would be risky during the later stages, but if it was successful, then Naruto would be far better than shinobi who went through conventional training designed for those without a kekkei genkai, or more specifically, the Sharingan. _Who knows, Naruto could surprise us all._

And with that in mind, Itachi began explaining the day's lesson plans, hoping that Kakashi would adhere to his plan. It was tough luck. If Kakashi wanted to use different lesson plans, Kakashi would have to arrive earlier. That, or tell him in advance what the day's plan was to entail. 'We will begin with kunai training until your standard aim is perfect. I expect you to accomplish this quickly and without much effort. After that, we will move onto more advanced forms – some of which will require more than a single day to get a hang of. Every evening after we eat dinner, we will study. Chakra control will be part of the theoretical study.'

Naruto nodded, standing up straight. A wide smile spread across his face as he contemplated what he was being told. _Physical training, already? Sweet! I haven't got to practise with weapons yet, so this'll be cool._ 'Great!'

Halfway across the village, a lone man stood in front of memorial dedicated to the village's past heroes. The shinobi that had lost their lives in the line of duty, shinobi whose bodies could never be recovered. A hand reached out to brush a single name amidst the multitudes of other names engraved into the large, meticulously polished black marble. _Obito Uchiha. I failed you before, but I will not do so again. I have a student now. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, you know, our sensei's son. He's got so much potential, Obito. You should see him. You should be here, helping me training him. You'd like him._

Kakashi looked up at the clear sky and sighed. _If I'd been more careful, I never would've been hit by that rock and you never would've been crushed. You'd still be here. Eh... you remember Itachi? Fugaku's son. You always disliked Fugaku, but know what? Now Itachi is also Naruto's teacher. Ironic, isn't it? You'd probably be pissed off if you were still here. Well... it was good talking to you again, old friend. I won't fail you this time. I won't be stupid this time. But I have to go now. There is the matter of actually teaching Naruto to attend to. I blame you, you know. I'm always late now._

He laughed bitterly before turning around and walking briskly out of the Heroes' Gardens, an apt name for the emerald expanse grown beautifully around the memorial. Kakashi knew it was unhealthy to dote on the past, but he didn't care. Obito had opened his eyes, and talking with Obito was the least he could do for his first friend, the friend he had failed. Idly, he wondered how Itachi was broaching the training. Genius shinobi Itachi was, experienced trainer Itachi was not. To be fair, neither was he. They would both have to wing it. _Ah, it can't be that hard, can it? If I can be a chuunin by six, then he should have no trouble._

Kakashi walked briskly down the street, taking care to pay attention to his surroundings. It was still early, only a few minutes past seven. He was probably going to surprise Itachi for being so early. But this was technically assigned to him as an ANBU operative, so he wouldn't be late, even if it wasn't a life-threatening mission. It was part of his vow. It almost felt awkward though. He hadn't forgone his Black Ops uniform in quite a bit now, and being without it almost felt the same as being naked in public. _Almost._

Noticing that he was nearing the Uchiha compound, Kakashi took a palpable sigh. He reasoned that he was panicking needlessly. If their meeting had gone well, then why not the training? It would be easy, he told himself. He had already vowed not to fail Obito again, and he sure as hell wasn't about to let his useless fear break his vow. Crushing his nervousness, he entered the compound, sparing only a momentary glance at the guard.

As he started hearing consecutive thumps in what was undeniably metal clashing against wood, he stepped closer to get a look. So he was right. Itachi had begun on the most basic element of combat training: weapons marksmanship. He stepped closer to hear his colleague's instruction and smiled knowingly. Itachi had the Sharingan activated, obviously disassembling Naruto's flawed method and assembling it back together to give sound advice.

'...now bend your knees to the slightest degree and widen the distance between your feet; it's good for balance,' Itachi said, eyes sparkling crimson and the slightest of smiles adorning his face. He was satisfied with his student's progress so far.

'Okay, sensei,' Naruto replied. His teacher had been right. The basic throwing truly was easy. Throwing another kunai, he allowed himself a satisfied smirk when it hit the centre. Out of his direct line of sight, he noticed a figure. 'Kakashi-sensei!'

'Good morning, Naruto, Itachi. Up early, are we?'

Itachi rounded his gaze on his superior, a raised eyebrow the only indication that he was surprised. 'Good morning, Kakashi-taichou. I had not expected you for another two hours.'

'Yeah. Itachi-sensei told me you wouldn't be here until nine because you aren't "known for being particularly prompt" and that I'd only disappoint myself if I hoped you'd be on time.' Naruto kept smiling throughout his entire explanation; he was glad that his teacher was only a few minutes late. Integrity was something his young mind could appreciate.

A twitch was the only sign that Itachi was put off-balance by Naruto's sudden explanation. _I may have to teach him tact before we even go on to ordinary theory._ 'My apologies, I had genuinely believed you would be late, Kakashi-taichou.'

Kakashi could only chuckle at the two before him. _Well, that was an interesting greeting, that's for sure. I outdid myself; I didn't think Itachi would be this surprised._ 'It's okay, Itachi. It's a logical assumption that I can't fault you for making. Now then, how're we getting along?'

'Itachi-sensei has been teaching me to throw kunai with perfect aim, then we were going to start on some more advanced manoeuvres, Kakashi-sensei. I just got it right when you arrived,' Naruto said, pride ringing through his voice. Although he had been told to expect that it would not be difficult, it still felt like another milestone in his long road to being a successful shinobi had been accomplished.

'Ah, a sound start. It's good to see you make this kind of progress so quickly. So, let's continue then,' announced Kakashi. He walked over to the stump and with a loud "oomph!" plopped down, motioning the two before him to resume what they were doing. _They sure aren't slacking off. It's a good start to both Naruto's career as a shinobi and Itachi as an operative._

Naruto did as he was told unquestioningly. He was ecstatic at his seeming success at his first lesson, a success firm enough to garner the praise of one of his teachers. And even if Itachi didn't mention it, he was sure Itachi was proud of him too. Was this how his routine life was going to be for the foreseeable future? If so, he didn't mind. It was certainly more interesting than his former lifestyle. He grinned again when another kunai met its mark on the target. He was getting the hang of this.

Behind him, Itachi and Kakashi looked at him intently. The former, Sharingan active, obviously still picking apart his form. He still didn't know why Kakashi covered his left eye though. Either, and he was loathe to admit to himself, Kakashi had lost that eye during some mission or it was Kakashi's fashion statement. And he seriously, seriously doubted that Kakashi was one for fashion. He seemed far too laid back and yet practical to care about fashion. Naruto begun to realise the extent of danger that shinobi went through. He was sure it probably hadn't hit him yet, having only just come to the sudden conclusion that Kakashi didn't have a left eye. And when it did, he would probably freak.

But now was not the time, he determined as he threw another kunai.

Besides, what sort of shinobi would he be if he couldn't even stomach injuries?

And so for the next several weeks, the routine stayed the same. Nothing changed drastically after Naruto's training began except for his own progress. Soon, the two teachers and student had progressed onto more advanced kunai techniques. The fact that he hadn't had the time to visit Ichiraku's Ramen for six weeks, he had been told, was not important at the time. His mentors believed in making sure his meals were always balanced and as healthy as was possible. And that meant no ramen for the time being.

Besides, there was always later, wasn't there? At least, he hoped so. It was a Sunday and therefore his rest day, and naturally being the inquisitive child he was, decided that he would roam around the village for a bit. Itachi was spending time with his own brother and Kakashi … well, he was somewhere. If they could do what they wanted, why not him? This was his reasoning as he walked past the academy building. Furtively, he sneaked a look inside. It was empty, as it should naturally be on a weekend. No instructors, students, or assistants could be seen. Naruto sighed. It was still a few years until he was enrolled into the academy for the official preparation programme prescribed by the administration.

Walking on for a few metres, he again stopped by a large window on the side of the building. The darkness of the building's interior allowed him a mirror like view of himself. The swirl often seen on standard-issue uniforms stared back at him from the centre of his shirt. _Like a whirlpool of power. A maelstrom of irrepressible force. Yeah… I like that meaning._

'Oof!' A blue object had barrelled into him.

Naruto had no time to even react through instinct, having only seen the object out of his peripheral vision at the last second. The next moment, he was pushed onto the ground in an unruly fashion. Pain laced through his right arm as his weight plus another's crushed it into the rough dirt. He pushed the person, as he now realised the object to be, off his body with little trouble before struggling to get back up. _This person is light._ 'Can you please be more careful when you run around the streets?'

The other person managed to get up, slapping the dust off his shirt. He looked up, an apologetic smile adorning his face. 'I'm sorry! I was just running away from… Naruto?'

'Sasuke?' That was a surprise, Naruto surmised. Wasn't Sasuke with Itachi? He coughed softly, clearing his throat, before continuing. 'Err… well, hi, Sasuke.'

Sasuke looked away, also clearing his throat. His face was flushed and drenched in sweat. 'Hi, Naruto.'

Naruto raised his eyebrow. 'What are you doing alone? Weren't you supposed to be with your brother?'

'Well,' Sasuke began: 'I'm trying to prove to him that I can easily hide from him. You know… like a stealth exercise.' Again, Sasuke exhaled loudly before inhaling deeply. He was still tired.

Taken aback, Naruto could not help but stare. 'That's… what you do for fun? Couldn't you… watch a movie with him? Normal fun?'

'Normal fun? I need to work hard and prove to my father that I'm just as capable as Itachi. He doesn't mind, so we just turn normal games into exercises. Are you telling me you don't find Hide 'n Seek fun?'

'I haven't heard of a game like that before.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah.'

'This is a bit awkward.'

Naruto smiled. 'Tell me about it. Why are you still standing here?'

'Good question. Maybe I should start trying to hide again?'

'Probably.'

'That is no longer necessary. I have found you, little brother.' Itachi had the slightest of smiles adorning his face as he walked up to the pair. His clothes were spotless, a stark contrast with the two younger boys still covered in dust. Something rather notable was missing, however. No katana hung from Itachi's waist today.

Sasuke mumbled and looked down at the ground. 'You always find me no matter what.'

'It is because I have had far more training than you have, Sasuke. Talent is useless without experience and determination. You may have two of those key ingredients for success, but experience will come in time,' Itachi replied, still smiling slightly. He put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and looked at Naruto. 'And hello, Naruto. I bid you a relaxing day. I will see you in the evening.'

Naruto smiled at his tutor. 'Thank you, Itachi-sensei. See you for dinner, I guess.'

As Itachi walked away with Sasuke beside him, Naruto continued to walk in the aimless manner he had been but moments before. There was nothing to really look for in the village. He just didn't know enough about the village to feel confident visiting places yet. Place of birth or not, the village was still a large place. Not particularly concentrating on his surroundings, Naruto eventually found himself walking by an open building, its only barrier from the outside several large pillars.

A few shouts drew his eyes to the stairs leading to a small balcony overlooking the first floor. _Two girls fighting? Wait, a girl and a woman._ Unable to help himself, Naruto stepped closer behind the pillars and began eavesdropping.

'What do you mean you can't teach me? You were supposed to be my teacher! My mentor! If that boy can specialise, why can't I?' The girl's voice was distraught, heavy with shock, anguish and anger.

'I'm so sorry, Yakumo. I guess I'm just not a teacher like Guy. Please cooperate… I don't want to have to resort to extremes.' Deeper and far calmer, the woman's voice gave off the feeling of resignation.

_Accepting defeat?_

'No… no! You can't do this to me!'

_The screaming…_

'Listen to me, Yakumo. I cannot train you. Your body is just not built to cope with the stress of being in the shinobi programme and I am in no way a proficient enough teacher to make it happen for you. If you don't stop your insistence Yakumo, I may have to… you're your powers.'

_No… no!_ Forgetting the fact that he was barging in on something that was likely private, Naruto rushed from behind the pillars. 'Stop!' he yelled.

The two females turned their gazes to him as one. The younger one, apparently Yakumo, had tears still streaming down her face. She looked almost frail, her slender body shaking. From the crying or exhaustion, Naruto didn't know. The older woman did nothing but regard him with cold, red eyes. _Red?_

'What are you doing here?' The woman's eyes scanned him coolly, as if daring him to do something stupid.

Stammering, Naruto sought an excuse. Then, remembering what Itachi had said, recalled that politeness was far more effective a tool in negotiation than passionate yelling. 'I am Naruto Uzumaki, the assigned apprentice of Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake. Today's my weekly holiday, so I was just walking around the village and happened on this place. I heard some yelling so I…'

'Eavesdropped,' the woman finished for him. 'Know this, apprentice of Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake, you have crossed the borders of privacy. This is a discussion between teacher and student.'

At a loss for words, Naruto could only stare back at the woman. To the woman's left, the girl also seemed speechless. 'Well… it doesn't sound very much like a conversation a teacher and a student would have. Sealing her powers and refusing to teach her? That's not what teachers do at all!'

'Please leave at once, boy. There are some things that only age will grant you before you can understand a situation like this,' she replied. She turned back and walked up the stairs, leaving the open room empty except for him and the girl. Her gait appeared confident and the little flick of her fingers before she disappeared behind the door on the second level gestured for the girl to follow.

Unsure what was going to happen next, Naruto simply stood there, then realised that the girl was still there. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt or anything,' he said. He looked down at the ground, not daring to meet the girl's eyes.

'It's… okay. It's not your fault. I will acquiese to my teacher's demands. Your intervention gave me time to realise that having my abilities sealed isn't worth arguing with her.'

Naruto looked back up, still shamefaced. To his surprise, the girl was smiling at him. 'Oh,' was all he could come up with.

'Yes. Well, I must go inform Kurenai-sensei of my decision. May we meet again soon, apprentice of Uchiha and Hatake,' she said, still smiling.

_Kurenai, huh? I wonder if Itachi-sensei or Kakashi-sensei know about her. _Now smiling, Naruto replied. 'And you, apprentice of Kurenai.'


End file.
